1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method for determining an appropriate configuration for operation of an aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining an appropriate configuration for operating an aircraft in wind shear conditions.
2. Background
Wind shear is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Wind shear may include vertical and horizontal components. Horizontal wind shear typically occurs across fronts and near the coast. Vertical wind shear typically occurs near the surface of the Earth. Vertical wind shear also may occur at higher levels in the atmosphere.
Wind shear may affect the control of aircraft during various aircraft operations. For example, wind shear at low levels in the atmosphere may affect the airspeed of aircraft during takeoff and landing. Wind shear has been a sole or contributing cause of many aircraft accidents.
The threat to safe operation of aircraft that may be posed by wind shear may be reduced by appropriate training of aircraft flight crew. For example, pilots may be trained to identify and respond to wind shear in an appropriate manner when wind shear is encountered during operation of an aircraft.
In 1985, the Federal Aviation Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation contracted with a consortium of aviation specialists to produce a wind shear training aid to enhance the understanding of wind shear by a pilot. The resulting wind shear training aid included information that was presented in various media formats and that was designed to provide effective training for flight crews in order to minimize the wind shear threat. The consortium of aviation specialists who developed this uniform, industry-wide training aid focused on the causes and effects of wind shear and developed instructions for wind shear identification, avoidance, and recovery. This information provides an operator of aircraft with data to create or update its own wind shear training program.
The potential dangers to safe operation of an aircraft associated with wind shear also may be reduced if the pilot of the aircraft is aware of the presence of wind shear in the area of aircraft operations. Aircraft may be equipped with on-board wind shear detection equipment for notifying the pilot when wind shear conditions are detected in the area of aircraft operations. Off-board equipment and systems also may be used to detect wind shear conditions in the area of aircraft operations. In this case, the detection of wind shear conditions in areas that may affect aircraft operations may be reported to the pilot onboard an aircraft by off-board personnel or automated equipment.
If a pilot is aware of the presence of wind shear in an area of aircraft operations, the pilot may operate the aircraft in a manner that reduces or eliminates the risk to aircraft operation that may be posed by the wind shear. In this case, the pilot may operate the aircraft in the presence of wind shear in a manner that is different from the way in which the pilot would operate the aircraft if wind shear were not present.
A pilot may remember techniques for operating an aircraft to mitigate the effects of wind shear that were learned by the pilot during training. The pilot may access printed or other resources to look up information related to aircraft operation in the presence of wind shear to help recall or supplement the information that was provided in training. The pilot may perform various calculations to determine an appropriate manner for operating the aircraft in the presence of wind shear that takes into account various other conditions for aircraft operation. For example, these various other conditions may include air traffic control procedures at an airport, current environmental conditions, aircraft performance limitations, policies imposed by an aircraft operator, or other conditions or combinations of conditions. Relying on memory, looking up information, and performing manual calculations to determine the appropriate way to operate an aircraft in the presence of wind shear may be subject to various undesired limitations.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a method and apparatus that takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above as well as possibly other issues.